China's two National Basketball Association superstars, Yao Ming
and rookie Yi Jianlian, meet for the second and last time this
season on Saturday in a major show for Chinese sports fans.
On the eve of American football's Super Bowl spectacular that
galvanizes US attention, the matchup between Yao's Houston Rockets
and Yi's Milwaukee Bucks is expected to attract 200 million viewers
in their Asian homeland.
"I look at it almost as the Chinese Super Bowl," said Bucks
coach Larry Krystkowiak. "We'll have the American version of the
Super Bowl the next night, which will be watched by about half as
many people. It's hard to fathom really.
"It means a lot to Yi and Yao and the NBA."
Not that Yi was going to admit that.
"No, it's just a game," Yi said of "Yao versus Yi II", which is
not by accident a Chinese New Year attraction.
Being an attraction, and even a source of relief given brutal
snow that has snarled transportation in China, is not on Yi's
mind.
"I don't think about that," Yi said. "I just focus on the game.
Of course (China supporters) are really excited to see two Chinese
players come together and play. They want to support us."
Yao scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Houston's 104-88
home victory last November when the Chinese stars first played
against each other in the NBA. Yi had 19 points and nine rebounds
in the tension-filled meeting.
"(Yi) played a nice game," Krystkowiak said. "He's productive
when he's got a set of fresh legs and I think he does now. He
remains pretty constant with his emotions and his approach. He's
always working his tail off."
Chinese reporters follow Yi's every move but he has handled the
attention and the new challenges of an 82-game NBA schedule
well.
"He has a lot of people pulling him in a lot of different
directions, but his demeanor really hasn't changed from Day One,"
Krystkowiak said.
Yao will be the starting center for the Western Conference in
the NBA All-Star Game later this month. He matched season highs
with 36 points and 19 rebounds in a home victory Tuesday over
Golden State.
"I look at Yao Ming's performance this season as a big
improvement and now he has become a leader on the Rockets team," Yi
said. "It's through his hard work. He has had a really good
year."
Australian 7-foot center Andrew Bogut will have the challenge of
trying to stop 2.2m giant Yao for the Bucks.
"He got a lot of criticism when he went number one (in the 2002
NBA Draft) and now he's an all-star year in and year out, the best
center in the league," Bogut said. "He will be one of the all-time
greats, I think.
"No one will ever be 7-foot-6 and have the touch and feel for
the game that he does."
(Agencies via China Daily February 3, 2008)